title: Factors affecting hospital charges and length of stay from teenage motor vehicle crash-related hospitalizations among United States teenagers, 2002-2007.
abstract: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all teenagers, and each year a far greater number of teens are hospitalized with non-fatal injuries. This retrospective cohort study used the National Inpatient Sample data to examine hospitalizations from the years 2002 to 2007 for 15-18-year-old teenagers who had been admitted due to a motor vehicle crash. More than 23,000 teens were hospitalized for motor vehicle-related crash injuries each year, for a total of 139,880 over the 6-year period. Total hospital charges exceeded $1 billion almost every year, with a median hospital charge of more than $25,000. Older teens, boys, those with fractures, internal injuries or intracranial injuries, and Medicaid/Medicare as a payer were associated with higher hospital charges and longer lengths of stay. These high charges and hospitalization periods pose a significant burden on teens, their families, and the health care system.
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa Injury Prevention Research Center, United States. corinne-peek-asa@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peek-Asa
authors.forename: Jingzhen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Marizen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: Cara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality; D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality; D017722:Hospital Charges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States; D014781:Viscera / Q000293:injuries